THE PEOPLE'S Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Andhra Pradesh unit staged dharna at Indira Park in Hyderabad on January 28, 2012, demanding the Indian Parliament to repeal the sedition law. The dharna was conducted as part of nation-wide campaign by PUCL, along with other civil liberties groups, demanding the Indian parliament to immediately repeal this Colonial Era Sedition Law.

Participating as chief guest retired professor of Osmania University K Chakradhar Rao deplored that the colonial era sedition law contained in section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code. He said it makes creating hatred or contempt for or disaffection towards the government established by Law in India, an act of sedition punishable with imprisonment for life, whether such disaffection, hatred or contempt is created by words spoken or written or by signs or visible representation.

PUCL state president Mrs Jaya Vindhyala said that this section forms part of chapter VI of the Indian penal Code that deals with offences against the State, a passage that deals with serious offences including waging war against the State. She recalled that the section 124 A was introduced by the British Government in 1870 when the colonial government felt that such a draconian law was needed to suppress the freedom struggle.

She lamented that state and central governments had been using this provision to suppress public discontent and to silence those who raise their voice against injustice. She said that PUCL in association with other likeminded groups will be gathering lakhs of signatures in support of their demand to repeal this colonial enactment. The signatures would be submitted to the Indian Parliament, she added.

In Andhra Pradesh, Jaya said that, they are planning to intensify their stir all over the state and in almost all the districts. She appealed all the civil liberty activists and those have faith in democracy and rule of law should join hands with them.

According to her, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to expose the misdeeds of the government he/she disapproves of and create disaffection and disloyalty among the people and work for throwing it out of power through democratic means of course without resorting to violence. Hence, she said, the law is incompatible with democracy in which anybody who is dissatisfied with the government has the right to create disaffection against it and seek its removal at the next election.

PUCL city president K Vithal Rao inaugurated the dharna. Socialist Party all India general secretary Nurul Ameen,  Mahila Samakhya general secretary K Aruna, PUCL state vice presidents Ch. Narendra, Iqbal Khan, G Muthyalu Yadav, city general secretary Riyazuddin and others participated.